Issue BriefMay 2009

Women at Risk: Why Many Women Are Forgoing Needed Health Care

An AnAlysis of the CommonweAlth fund 2007 BienniAl heAlth insurAnCe survey

sheilA d. rustgi, miChelle m. doty, And sArA r. Collins

ABSTRACT: Rising health care costs coupled with eroding health care benefits are having a substantial effect on Americans’ ability to get needed health care, with women particu-larly affected. Women experience cost-related access problems and medical bill problems more often than men. In 2007, more than half (52%) of women reported problems access-ing needed care because of cost and 45 percent of women accrued medical debt or reported problems with medical bills. Since women use more health care services than men, they are more exposed to the fragmentation and failings of the current health care system—underscoring the need for affordable and high-quality health insurance coverage that is available to all.

INTRoduCTIoNAs the economic recession continues to ripple through the nation, forcing employers to shed jobs and trim health care budgets, health care costs are rising at a rate of more than 6 percent per year. Increasingly, health insurance and access to care are falling further out of reach for many working families. Women are particularly vulnerable to high health care costs in the current environment, since they face a disproportionate share of such costs.1 Compared with men, women require more health care services during their reproductive years (ages 18 to 45), have higher out-of-pocket medical costs, and have lower average incomes.2

Drawing from the Commonwealth Fund 2007 Biennial Health Insurance Survey, this study finds that, although women are no more likely than men to be uninsured, they are more likely to forgo needed care because of cost and to have

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Commonwealth Fund pub. 1262 Vol. 52

For more information about this study, please contact:

Michelle M. Doty, Ph.D.Director of Survey ResearchThe Commonwealth FundE-mail mmd@cmwf.org

The mission of The Commonwealth Fund is to promote a high performance health care system. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy. Support for this research was provided by The Commonwealth Fund. The views presented here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Commonwealth Fund or its directors, officers, or staff.

2 the CommonweAlth fund

problems paying their medical bills, accrue medical debt, or both. Too often, problems with medical bills and medical debt force women to make difficult tradeoffs between health care, savings, credit card debt, mortgages, and basic necessities. In 2007, more than three of five adult women under age 65 reported a problem paying medical bills, a cost-related problem getting needed health care, or both, compared with about half of men (Figure 1). All told, seven of 10 women were either uninsured or underinsured, reported medical bill or debt problems, or experienced a cost-related problem accessing needed care. This analysis underscores the need for universal health insurance that is affordable, ensures access to timely health care, and provides protections against cata-strophic financial losses.

Forty-Five Percent of Women Were uninsured or underinsured in 2007Many men and women have inadequate health insur-ance coverage. In addition to experiencing gaps in coverage throughout the year, large numbers are underinsured, meaning that, while they have coverage year round, they still incur out-of-pocket health care costs that are high relative to their income.3 In 2007, 45 percent of women and 39 percent of men were underinsured or uninsured for a time in the past year (Figure 2). Rates of inadequate coverage were highest among men and women with low and moderate incomes. Three of four adults with low incomes (household incomes less than $20,000) and three of five adults with moderate incomes ($20,000 to $39,999) had gaps in their insurance coverage or were underinsured. Even among those with higher incomes ($40,000 to $59,999), almost one-third were uninsured or underinsured.

Although rates of coverage do not differ signifi-cantly between women and men, the source of cover-age does. Women have significantly higher rates of public coverage and more men than women get health insurance through their own employer (data not shown).4 Women who have employer insurance, on the other hand, more often receive it through someone else, such as a spouse.

Over the past few years, the quality of health coverage for many Americans has eroded, leaving more and more people exposed to financial risks. According to Commonwealth Fund survey data, between 2003 and 2007 the number of adults esti-mated to be underinsured climbed from 16 million to 25 million.5 This reflects both the consequences of sluggish or no growth in average real household incomes over that period and rapid growth in health care costs. While the majority of Americans receive health insurance through their employers, many firms,

Note: Subgroups may not sum to 100% because of rounding.Source: The Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007).

Figure 1. Seventy Percent of Adult Women Under Age 65 Were Uninsured, Underinsured, Reported a Medical Bill Problem,

or Did Not Access Needed Care in 2007

51.9 million of 85.5 million men ages 19–64 at risk of inadequate coverage,

medical bill or access problems

63.8 million of 91.5 million women ages 19–64 at risk

of inadequate coverage, medical bill or access problems

Adequate coverage and

no bill or access problem

39%

Uninsured any time during the year or

underinsured11%

Cost-related access problem

13%

Medical bill/debt problem

10%

Medical bill/debt and cost-related

access problem

25%

Adequate coverage and no bill or access

problem30%

Medical bill/debt problem

10%

Uninsured any time during the year or

underinsured9%

Cost-related access problem

16%

Medical bill/debt and cost-related

access problem

36%

Note: Income refers to annual income. In 2007, low income is <$20,000, moderate income is $20,000–$39,999, middle income is $40,000–$59,999, and high income is $60,000 or more.Underinsured defined as insured all year but experienced one of the following: medical expenses equaled 10% or more of income; medical expenses equaled 5% or more of income if low income (<200% of poverty); or deductibles equaled 5% or more of income.Subgroups may not sum to total because of rounding.Source: The Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007).

Insured all year, underinsuredUninsured at any time in past year100

75

50

25

0

39 45

74 78

59 60

30 32

12 19

Figure 2. Rates of Health Coverage Among Men and WomenWere Not Significantly Different in 2007

Percent of adults ages 19–64

MenWomen Men

Women MenWomen Men

WomenMenWomen

Total Lowincome

Moderate income

Middleincome

High income

9 7

17 10

20 15 10 6

40 41 50 50

29 27

16 13

24 28

18 20

women At risk: why mAny women Are forgoing needed heAlth CAre 3

particularly small businesses, are sharing more of their costs with their workers. Average deductibles in employer-based plans tripled between 2000 and 2008 and quadrupled for employers with fewer than 200 employees.6 The downturn in the economy will likely increase the numbers of both uninsured and underinsured people.

More Than a Third of Women Spent 10 Percent or More of Income on out-of-Pocket Costs and Premiums in 2007A growing share of women is spending a significant amount of their income on out-of-pocket costs and health insurance premiums: more than one-third (35%) of working-age women spent 10 percent or more of their income on these expenses in 2007 (Figure 3). Similarly, 31 percent of men spent a large share of their income on medical expenses in 2007 (data not shown). Between 2001 and 2007, the share of women allocating large portions of their income to health care costs has risen significantly. In 2001, 29 percent of women with incomes less than $20,000 spent 10 per-cent or more of their income on out-of-pocket costs and premiums; in 2007, that number rose to 55 per-cent—over half of all women in this income category. However, the increase was not limited to women with lower incomes: the share of women earning between

$35,000 and $60,000 who paid high out-of-pocket costs as a share of their income almost doubled in this same period, rising from 21 percent to 41 percent. In 2007, nearly one of five (17%) women with incomes over $60,000 had high out-of-pocket costs.

Women at Risk: Many Forgo Care Because of CostAs adequate insurance moves out of reach and Americans pay more out-of-pocket for their care, large numbers of both men and women are delaying or avoiding necessary care. The survey asked whether, because of cost, respondents had not filled a prescrip-tion; skipped a medical test, treatment, or follow-up visit recommended by a doctor; not visited a doctor or clinic when they had a medical problem; or did not get needed specialist care in the past year. Even though women and men reported similar rates of insurance coverage and women have only slightly higher rates of out-of-pocket spending as a share of their incomes than men, they are significantly more likely to report delay-ing or avoiding needed care because of cost. More than half (52%) of women experienced any of these problems, compared with 39 percent of men (Figure 4).7 Women were also more likely to forgo preventive services because of cost: nearly half (45%) of women delayed or did not receive a cancer screening or dental

Note: Income refers to annual income. In 2001, low income is <$20,000, moderate income is $20,000–$34,999, middle income is $35,000–$59,999, and high income is $60,000 or more. In 2007, low income is <$20,000, moderate income is $20,000–$39,999, middle income is $40,000–$59,999, and high income is $60,000 or more.Source: The Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Surveys (2001 and 2007).

2001 200775

50

25

0

35 37

Figure 3. Over Half of Low-Income Women Spent 10 Percent or More of Their Income on Out-of-Pocket

Costs and Premiums in 2007

Percent of women ages 19–64 who spent 10% or more of income annually on out-of-pocket costs and premiums

Total Lowincome

Moderate income

Middleincome

High income

35

55

2925 21

41

1217

* Did not fill a prescription; did not see a specialist when needed; skipped recommended medical test, treatment, or follow-up; had a medical problem but did not visit doctor or clinic.Note: Income refers to annual income. In 2007, low income is <$20,000, moderate income is $20,000–$39,999, middle income is $40,000–$59,999, and high income is $60,000 or more.Source: The Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007).

Men Women75

50

25

0

52 52

Figure 4. More Than Half of Adult Women Under Age 65Experienced Problems Accessing Care in 2007

Percent of adults ages 19–64 reporting any one of four problems* accessing care

Total Lowincome

Moderate income

Middleincome

High income

39

67

57

3948

23

34

65

4 the CommonweAlth fund

exam because of its cost, as opposed to 36 percent of men (Table 2).

Differences between men and women who reported problems accessing needed care persisted across all income groups, but were widest among adults with moderate incomes. Sixty-five percent of women with incomes between $20,000 and $39,999 experienced access problems because of cost, which is almost as high as the rate reported by women with low incomes (Figure 4). Men with moderate incomes fared only somewhat better than their female peers, with 52 percent reporting cost-related access problems. Women with higher incomes also reported higher rates of access problems than their male counterparts: 34 percent of women with income of $60,000 or more reported cost-related problems getting needed care, compared with 23 percent of men.

A recent analysis of the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Surveys over the 2001–2007 period found that the share of adults facing diffi-culties accessing needed care because of cost rose dra-matically. This trend, driven by rising health care costs, loss of adequate health insurance, and sluggish income growth, is likely to worsen with the economy in recession.8

While men and women were uninsured and underinsured at similar rates in 2007, the lack of ade-quate coverage had a somewhat greater effect on

women’s ability to get the care they need. Nearly 70 percent of women who were insured all year but still underinsured reported cost-related problems getting needed care, compared with about half of men who were underinsured. Women who were underinsured reported cost-related access problems at nearly the same rates as women who were uninsured for all or part of the year (Figure 5). Even when women were adequately insured all year, one of three still reported a cost-related problem accessing needed care.

Women who were uninsured for some time in the past year or underinsured also reported high rates of delaying or avoiding preventive care because of its cost (66% and 62%, respectively) (Table 2). Even though most underinsured women have a regular source of care, they skimp on preventive cancer screenings: only 67 percent of underinsured women over the age of 50 received a mammogram in the past two years, compared with 85 percent of adequately insured women. This suggests that their inadequate coverage may deter them from seeking care.

More Women Than Men Are Burdened by Medical Bills and Medical debt Women, as more frequent users of the health care sys-tem, are somewhat more at risk than men of experi-encing problems with medical bills or accruing medi-cal debt over time.9 The survey asked respondents whether they had any difficulty paying or were unable to pay medical bills, were contacted by a collection agency for unpaid medical bills, had to change their way of life to pay bills, or were paying off medical debt over time. Forty-five percent of women reported at least one of these problems paying medical bills, compared with 36 percent of men (Figure 6).

Both men and women across the income spec-trum experienced problems paying medical bills or paying off medical debt over time, but women were more affected. About three of five women with low or moderate income reported medical bill problems or debt, as did nearly half (46%) of women with somewhat higher incomes, compared with about 50 percent and 32 percent of men, respectively. Even in households

* Did not fill a prescription; did not see a specialist when needed; skipped recommended medical test, treatment, or follow-up; had a medical problem but did not visit doctor or clinic.Note: Income refers to annual income. In 2007, low income is <$20,000, moderate income is $20,000–$39,999, middle income is $40,000–$59,999, and high income is $60,000 or more.Source: The Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007).

Men Women

75

50

25

0

52 49

Figure 5. Inadequate Coverage Had a Greater Impact on Ability to Access Needed Care for Women Than for Men in 2007

Percent of adults ages 19–64 reporting any one of four problems* accessing care

Total Uninsured in the past year

Insured all year,underinsured

Insured all year,not underinsured

39 67

76

3925

34

69

100

women At risk: why mAny women Are forgoing needed heAlth CAre 5

earning $60,000 or more per year, significantly more women than men had medical bill problems.

The problem of medical debt has been rising over time and is certain to be exacerbated by job loss and greater cost-sharing in employer-based insurance plans during the current economic downturn. According to a recent analysis of the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Surveys, between 2005 and 2007 the proportion of working-age adults who struggled to pay medical bills and accumulated medical debt climbed from 34 percent to 41 percent; this increase occurred across all income groups.10 Considering the worsening economy and the relatively short timeframe in which the increase occurred, medi-cal debt burdens are likely on the rise.

Difficulties dealing with medical bills and accrued debt are especially common for men and women who lack adequate health insurance, but women are most affected. Two-thirds of underinsured or uninsured women reported medical bill problems or debt, compared with about half of underinsured and uninsured men (Table 3). Underinsured women with medical bill or debt problems tend to have low to moderate incomes and are more likely than their male counterparts to be single with children (both underin-sured men and women had similar health status) (data not shown). Lower incomes and higher demand for health care, for both themselves and their children, put women at greater risk than men for incurring large

medical expenses. When men and women are ade-quately insured, they have similarly low rates of prob-lems with medical bills or accrued debt.

When faced with the burden of medical bills and paying off medical debt over time, many survey respondents were forced to make difficult tradeoffs. The survey found that one-third (32%) of women and one-quarter (24%) of men had been unable to pay for basic necessities such as food, heat, or rent; had used up all their savings; had taken out a mortgage or loan against their home; or had taken on credit card debt because of medical bills (Table 3). The tradeoffs were more common for those who were underinsured or uninsured for a time during the year: over half (55%) of underinsured women and 46 percent of uninsured women had made one of these choices in the past two years. Similarly, underinsured and uninsured men were more likely than adequately insured men to have made one of these tradeoffs, although such decisions were somewhat less common among men than women.

Women who have medical bill problems or who are paying off medical debt over time are more likely to delay or forgo needed care because of its cost than women without such problems. Four of five (79%) women with medical debt or problems with medical bills reported not pursuing needed health care because of its cost (data not shown). In contrast, among women without such problems, 29 percent did not pursue needed care because of its cost. Thus, those with medi-cal bill problems or debt appear to be more cautious in incurring more medical bills, even at the expense of needed and recommended care. Women who are avoiding needed or recommended care could poten-tially find themselves much sicker and in greater need of health care services in the future.

CoNCluSIoN ANd ReCoMMeNdATIoNSThis analysis finds that even before the economy entered recession, growing numbers of adults were going without adequate health insurance, having medi-cal bill problems, and avoiding or delaying care because of the cost. Because women require more health care services than men, and have lower average

Note: Income refers to annual income. In 2007, low income is <$20,000, moderate income is $20,000–$39,999, middle income is $40,000–$59,999, and high income is $60,000 or more.Source: The Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007).

Men Women75

50

25

0

45

Figure 6. Women Reported High Rates ofMedical Bill Problems and Medical Debt in 2007

Percent of adults ages 19–64 reporting problems with medical bills or paying off medical debt over time

Total Lowincome

Moderate income

Middleincome

High income

29

57

36

46

21

32

61

48 50

6 the CommonweAlth fund

incomes, they are exposed to a higher health care cost burden. As a consequence, they have cost-related diffi-culties accessing needed health care and incur medical bill problems at higher rates than men. The experi-ences of U.S. women highlight the fragmentation and failings of the the nation’s health care system.

The downturn in the economy and the associ-ated loss of jobs and health benefits have only under-scored the urgency of health reform. Employers, par-ticularly small businesses, are increasingly hard-pressed to offer benefits to their workers. Loss of cov-erage and greater cost-sharing expenses will exacer-bate disparities between men and women, or between those who regularly use the health care system and those who use it less often.

The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System recently released its recommendations for insurance, payment, and health system reforms.11 A key component of the proposal is the creation of a national health insurance exchange that would offer a mix of public and private insurance plans, achieving near-universal coverage within a few years of implementation. As shown in this analysis, health benefit designs must offer cost protection, as even those who are insured all year, if their coverage is inadequate, will likely be exposed to costly medical bills and debt and may delay or forgo care. Reform policies that would expand access to affordable, high-quality coverage are therefore critical—for women and men, and the families they care for.

women At risk: why mAny women Are forgoing needed heAlth CAre 7

notes

1 S. R. Collins, S. B. Berkson, and D. A. Downey, Health Insurance Tax Credits: Will They Work for Women? (New York: The Commonwealth Fund, Jan. 2003).

2 E. M. Patchias and J. Waxman, Women and Health Coverage: The Affordability Gap (New York: The Commonwealth Fund, April 2007); A. Ho, S. R. Collins, K. Davis, and M. M. Doty, A Look at Working-Age Caregivers’ Roles, Health Concerns, and Need for Support (New York: The Common-wealth Fund, Aug. 2005); Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “Total Health Services-Mean and Median Expenses per Person with Expense and Distribution of Expenses by Source of Payment: United States, 2005,” Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Component Data. Generated interactively, Oct. 9, 2008.

3 “Underinsured” is defined as having health insur-ance all year and having medical expenses, exclud-ing premiums, that represent 10 percent or more of income (5 percent or more of income if household income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty level) or a deductible that represents 5 percent or more of income. See C. Schoen, S. R. Collins, J. L. Kriss, and M. M. Doty, “How Many Are Underin-sured? Trends Among U.S. Adults, 2003 and 2007,” Health Affairs Web Exclusive, June 10, 2008: w298–w309.

4 All reported differences are statistically significant at p < 0.05 or better, unless otherwise noted.

5 Schoen, Collins, Kriss et al., “How Many Are Underinsured?” 2008.

6 Kaiser Family Foundation, 2008 Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer Health Benefits accessed at: http://ehbs.kff.org/pdf/7790.pdf.

7 Difference is statistically significant when control-ling for having used care in the past two years, income, insurance continuity, health status, and age.

8 S. R. Collins, J. L. Kriss, M. M. Doty, and S. D. Rustgi, Losing Ground: How the Loss of Adequate Health Insurance Is Burdening Working Families—Findings from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Surveys, 2001–2007 (New York: The Commonwealth Fund, Aug. 2008).

9 Difference is statistically significant when control-ling for having used care in the past two years, income, insurance continuity, health status, and age.

10 M. M. Doty, S. R. Collins, S. D. Rustgi, and J. L. Kriss, Seeing Red: The Growing Burden of Medical Bills and Debt Faced by U.S. Families (New York: The Commonwealth Fund, Aug. 2008).

11 The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System, The Path to a High Performance U.S. Health System: A 2020 Vision and the Policies to Pave the Way (New York: The Commonwealth Fund, Feb. 2009).

8 the CommonweAlth fund

Table 1. Demographics and Insurance Coverage by GenderAdults Ages 19–64

Total Men WomenTotal (millions) 177.0 85.5 91.5Percent distribution 100% 48% 52%Unweighted n 2,616 941 1,675

Insurance StatusInsured all year 72% 73% 71%Insured now, time uninsured in past year 10 9 11Uninsured now 18 17 18Insured all year, not underinsured 58 61 55Insured all year, underinsured* 14 13 16Any time uninsured in past year** 28 27 29

Age19–29 22 22 2330–49 48 48 4750–64 30 30 30

Race/EthnicityWhite 67 66 68Black 12 10 13Hispanic 14 15 13Asian/Pacific Islander 3 3 2Other/Mixed 4 4 3

IncomeLess than $20,000 22 20 24$20,000–$39,999 21 22 21$40,000–$59,999 16 17 15$60,000 or more 29 30 28

Poverty StatusBelow 100% poverty 14 13 15100%–199% 19 17 21200%–299% 15 15 14300%–399% 15 15 15400% poverty or more 28 30 25Below 200% poverty 33 30 36200% poverty or more 58 61 54

Fair/Poor Health Status, or Any Chronic Condition or Disability 44 43 44

Adult Work StatusFull-time 57 66 48Part-time 12 8 16Not currently employed 31 26 36

Family Work StatusAt least one full-time worker 73 73 72Only part-time worker(s) 8 7 9No worker in family 19 19 19

* Underinsured defined as insured all year but experienced one of the following: medical expenses equaled 10% or more of income; medical expenses equaled 5% or more of income if low income (<200% of poverty); or deductibles equaled 5% or more of income. ** Combines currently uninsured and insured but had a time uninsured in past year, and undesignated time uninsured. Source: The Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2007).

women At risk: why mAny women Are forgoing needed heAlth CAre 9

Tabl

e 2.

Reg

ular

Car

e an

d M

edic

al B

ill P

robl

ems

by G

ende

rA

dults

Age

s 19

–64

Insu

red

all y

ear,

not u

nder

insu

red

Insu

red

all y

ear,

unde

rinsu

red

Uni

nsur

ed

any

time

Tota

lM

enW

omen

Men

Wom

enM

enW

omen

Men

Wom

enTo

tal (

mill

ions

)17

7.0

85.5

91.5

52.1

50.2

10.7

14.5

22.7

26.8

Per

cent

dis

tribu

tion

100%

48%

52%

29%

28%

6%8%

13%

15%

Unw

eigh

ted

n2,

616

941

1,67

556

397

211

122

326

748

0

Has

a re

gula

r sou

rce

of c

are

78%

75%

80%

86%

89%

82%

86%

48%

60%

Rec

eive

d P

ap te

st in

pas

t yea

r if

19–2

9; p

ast 3

yea

rs if

30+

——

78—

86—

76—

63

Rec

eive

d m

amm

ogra

m in

pa

st 2

yea

rs if

50+

——

74—

85—

67—

45

Acc

ess

Prob

lem

s in

Pas

t Yea

rW

ent w

ithou

t nee

ded

care

in p

ast

year

due

to c

osts

:

Did

not

fill

pres

crip

tion

3125

3615

2336

5342

53

Ski

pped

reco

mm

ende

d te

st,

treat

men

t, or

follo

w-u

p25

2030

1116

2540

4051

Had

a m

edic

al p

robl

em, d

id n

ot

visi

t doc

tor o

r clin

ic31

2834

1515

3745

5363

Did

not

get

nee

ded

spec

ialis

t car

e20

1921

108

2127

3740

At l

east

one

of f

our a

cces

s pr

oble

ms

due

to c

osts

4539

5225

3449

6967

76

Del

ayed

or d

id n

ot g

et p

reve

ntiv

e ca

re in

pas

t yea

r due

to c

osts

:

Scr

eeni

ng, s

uch

as m

amm

ogra

m

or c

olon

can

cer

1816

217

916

2336

42

Den

tal c

are

3934

4222

2739

6061

61

Yes

to e

ither

4136

4524

3041

6263

66

Note:

Und

erins

ured

defin

ed as

insu

red a

ll yea

r but

expe

rienc

ed on

e of th

e foll

owing

: med

ical e

xpen

ses e

quale

d 10%

or m

ore o

f inco

me; m

edica

l exp

ense

s equ

aled 5

% or

mor

e of in

come

if low

inco

me (<

200%

of

pove

rty);

or de

ducti

bles e

quale

d 5%

or m

ore o

f inco

me.

Sour

ce: T

he C

ommo

nwea

lth F

und B

iennia

l Hea

lth In

sura

nce S

urve

y (20

07).

10 the CommonweAlth fund

Tabl

e 3.

Acc

ess

Prob

lem

s by

Gen

der a

nd In

sura

nce

Stat

usA

dults

Age

s 19

–64

Insu

red

all y

ear,

not u

nder

insu

red

Insu

red

all y

ear,

un

derin

sure

dU

nins

ured

any

tim

eTo

tal

Men

Wom

enM

enW

omen

Men

Wom

enM

enW

omen

Tota

l (m

illio

ns)

177.

085

.591

.552

.150

.210

.714

.522

.726

.8P

erce

nt d

istri

butio

n10

0%48

%52

%29

%28

%6%

8%13

%15

%U

nwei

ghte

d n

2,61

694

11,

675

563

972

111

223

267

480

Med

ical

Bill

Pro

blem

s

in P

ast Y

ear

Had

pro

blem

s pa

ying

or u

nabl

e to

pa

y m

edic

al b

ills

2723

3112

1435

5043

52

Con

tact

ed b

y co

llect

ion

agen

cy fo

r un

paid

med

ical

bill

s16

1219

69

1827

2333

Had

to c

hang

e w

ay o

f life

to p

ay b

ills

1815

218

821

3928

35A

ny b

ill p

robl

em33

2937

1620

4757

5160

Med

ical

bill

s/de

bt b

eing

pai

d of

f ov

er ti

me

2824

3117

2139

5232

40

Any

bill

pro

blem

or m

edic

al d

ebt

4136

4523

2954

6756

65

Per

cent

repo

rting

that

the

follo

win

g ha

ppen

ed in

the

past

2 y

ears

be

caus

e of

med

ical

bill

s:

Una

ble

to p

ay fo

r bas

ic n

eces

sitie

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1620

99

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1413

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1018

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3215

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Note:

Und

erins

ured

defin

ed as

insu

red a

ll yea

r but

expe

rienc

ed on

e of th

e foll

owing

: med

ical e

xpen

ses e

quale

d 10%

or m

ore o

f inco

me; m

edica

l exp

ense

s equ

aled 5

% or

mor

e of in

come

if low

inco

me (<

200%

of po

verty

); or

dedu

ctible

s equ

aled 5

% or

mor

e of in

come

. So

urce

: The

Com

monw

ealth

Fun

d Bien

nial H

ealth

Insu

ranc

e Sur

vey (

2007

).

women At risk: why mAny women Are forgoing needed heAlth CAre 11

ABout this study

Data for this study were drawn from the Commonwealth Fund 2007 Biennial Health Insurance Survey, con-ducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from June 6 through October 24, 2007. The sur-vey consisted of 25-minute telephone interviews in either English or Spanish with a random, national sample of 3,501 adults, ages 19 and older, living in telephone households in the continental United States. This issue brief is based on the responses of 2,616 adults ages 19 to 64, including 941 males and 1,675 females. To represent the adult population, the data were weighted by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, household size, and geographic region, using the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement. The survey had a 45 percent response rate (calculated according to the standards of the American Association for Public Opinion Research) and an overall margin of sampling error of +/− 2 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

ABout the Authors

Sheila D. Rustgi is program assistant for the Program on the Future of Health Insurance at The Commonwealth Fund. She is a graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in economics. While in school, she volunteered in several local and international health care organizations, including Yale New Haven Hospital and a Unite for Sight eye clinic. Prior to joining the Fund, she worked as an analyst at a management consulting firm.

Michelle McEvoy Doty, Ph.D., director of survey research, directs survey development and analysis at The Commonwealth Fund and conducts research examining health care access and quality among vulnerable populations and the extent to which lack of health insurance contributes to barriers to health care and inequities in quality of care. She received her M.P.H. and Ph.D. in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Sara R. Collins, Ph.D., is assistant vice president at The Commonwealth Fund. An economist, she is responsi-ble for survey development, research, and policy analysis, as well as program development and management of the Fund’s Program on the Future of Health Insurance. Prior to joining the Fund, Dr. Collins was associate director/senior research associate at the New York Academy of Medicine, Division of Health and Science Policy. Earlier in her career, she was an associate editor at U.S. News & World Report, a senior economist at Health Economics Research, and a senior health policy analyst in the New York City Office of the Public Advocate. She holds an A.B. in economics from Washington University and a Ph.D. in economics from George Washington University.

Editorial support was provided by Martha Hostetter.

12 the CommonweAlth fund